Lifting weights to build muscle may seem like a bodybuilder’s specialty, but research suggests everyone should try it as they get older to lower their risk of dementia. Research has revealed this.
As people move through midlife and into late life, there is growing evidence to suggest that strength or weight training should be incorporated alongside aerobic exercise to stay healthy.
The physical benefits of maintaining muscle mass are clear as it helps prevent frailty later in life and makes it easier to avoid and recover from injuries. But a new study has found that it also has benefits that reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
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resistance Training includes lifting weights and using weight machines at the gym, but may also include exercises that use your body’s own weight, such as push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and squats.
Skeletal muscle loss is a risk factor for the development of dementia, according to a study presented this week at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting.
Loss of skeletal muscle, which accounts for about a third of a person’s body weight, is common in Alzheimer’s patients, but scientists are wondering whether the disease leads to muscle loss or whether muscle loss occurs first. , we wanted to see if it contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. disease.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, have found that the thickness and area of the temporalis muscle (a muscle in the head used to move the lower jaw) can be interpreted as “an indicator of muscle loss throughout the body.” said.
Maintaining muscle mass may reduce the risk of developing dementia
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“Measuring temporalis muscle size as a potential indicator of systemic skeletal muscle status provides an opportunity to quantify skeletal muscle without additional cost or burden in older adults,” said Russell – said Dr. Kamyar Moradi, a researcher in the H. Morgan Department of Radiology. Science.
The researchers used MRI scans to examine muscle levels in 621 people with an average age of 77 without dementia. It was classified according to whether the cross-sectional area of the temporalis muscle was large or small.
They then followed them for an average of about six years to see which people went on to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and also looked at changes in cognitive function and brain volume.
“This is the first longitudinal study to demonstrate that skeletal muscle loss may contribute to the development of dementia,” Moradi said. “After adjusting for other known risk factors, we found that older adults with smaller skeletal muscles were about 60 percent more likely to develop dementia.”
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Dr. Marilyn Albert, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University, said MRI scans could detect muscle weakness early and potentially identify people at high risk for dementia. This could enable “timely interventions” to address skeletal muscle loss, such as physical activity, strength training, and nutritional support.
“Such interventions may help prevent or slow muscle loss and reduce the risk of subsequent cognitive decline and dementia,” said study co-author Dr Shadpour Demeri. .
A study presented at the conference noted that “age-related skeletal muscle loss is largely undiagnosed and potentially correctable.”
